Mirai Gohan: Time Flies
by Dzem
Summary: Mirai Gohan travels back in time looking for Cell. Things become complicated for Piccolo and Goku once they realize that this Future Gohan isn't completely sane. What happened to Gohan? Will Gohan be able to defeat Cell? Piccolo/Goku/Gohan NONYAOI
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I wrote this because I was having some writers block on my Fullmetal Alchemist story. It was something that just shot in my mind, though after reading over it myself I can't help but feel that it's a bit Cliche. Oh well! Let me know if it's any good and I'll add the next chapter up. I was not sure what to put for the rating so I settled with T just for now. There are a few F*** that will come out later on though. Also there will be some later torture scenes and mention of rape, though nothing graphic! This chapters pretty safe though. But, I might change the rating down to M depending on what reviews say. Also I can't help but feel that Piccolo is OOC and so is Vegeta. So sorry in advance! Anyway. **

**Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own DragonBall Z or any of it's characters. Though I wish I owned Gohan!_

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**Chapter 1**  
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A young man in an orange gi stepped out of a small egg shaped capsule. A scar ran down from the middle of his forehead to his left cheek. His hair was pitch black, short, and spiked off to the side. His bangs stopped just below his eyebrows. He scanned the area he landed on. It was somewhere in the woods which pleased the young man. He took out a small capsule the size of his smallest finger and pressed the top of it. The egg shaped capsule disappeared into the smaller capsule, which the young man then pocketed. He then flew off into the direction of the Lookout sensing the green namek he was looking for there.

Piccolo was meditating on the Lookout. It helped him clear his mind and also boost his ki power. His eyes opened slightly when he felt a weird ki coming from his left. It felt familiar and yet he couldn't tell who it belonged too. He stood up and faced where the ki was coming from. It didn't feel very strong so he wasn't concerned if it was an enemy, though this ki felt too pure to be someone evil. He noticed Kami and Mr. Popo also stepped out and were staring in the same direction, obviously feeling the strange ki as well.

After a few minutes a figure could be seen. Clad in all orange except for the dark blue shirt underneath the orange gi. If it weren't for the ki, Piccolo would have sworn it was Goku. The man finally reached the lookout and stood a few feet from where Piccolo, Kami, and Popo were standing. Piccolo studied the man who also seemed to be studying him. The man was tall, though not taller than himself, and had a scar on his long face. Piccolo couldn't help but see Goku in the face. The man moved closer to where Piccolo was until he was nearly in front of the namek. Piccolo tensed ready for a fight if the mysterious man decided to attack.

"Who are you and what do you want." The namek demanded. He stared the man straight in the face and smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Piccolo." The man replied smoothly.

"How the hell do you know my name?" Piccolo asked suspiciously. Readying himself further for an attack.

The man smiled. "What? You can't even guess who I might be?" The man asked frowning a little and using a hurt voice. Piccolo eyed the man carefully, he could take a guess, but he didn't believe that it would be the right guess.

"Are you another brother to Goku. Like that buffoon Raditz?" Piccolo smirked when he saw a the man's smirk falter to a look of disgust.

"I'm really hurt, Piccolo. How can you compare me to someone like Raditz?" The man asked frowning. Obviously upset that Piccolo couldn't guess correctly.

"_So he knows who I am and who Raditz was."_ Piccolo thought to himself, then it suddenly dawned on him. _"No way! It couldn't be! He's just a little boy…"_ Piccolo stared at the man for another minutes before finally speaking his thoughts out loud.

"G…Gohan?" Piccolo asked unsure. Suddenly a large grin spread across the young man's face and he nodded. Piccolo's mouth dropped open.

"Took you long enough!" Gohan said laughing at the green name's expression. "You okay there?"

Piccolo continued to stare at the man. "B-but how! This makes no sense. Unless…" Piccolo trailed off.

"I'm from the future." Gohan finished for him smiling softly at the namek. Suddenly his stomach began growling loudly. "Umm…do you think I could get some food, then I'll explain everything." Gohan asked.

Mr. Popo spoke up for the first time. "Of course Gohan! Come with me and I'll get you some food." He said walking towards the kitchen. Gohan followed right away with another grin on his face that resembled his fathers.

Piccolo stared after the young man still in mild shock. Kami walked over and chuckled lightly.

"Well, this is quite a surprise." He said putting a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. Piccolo stared at Kami before speaking.

"Do you think he's lying?" Piccolo asked quietly. Kami shook his head and walked off towards the inside of the lookout.

"I can sense the resemblance between him and the boy. It's different but there are still traces of the Gohan we know in that ki." Kami explained as he walked away. Piccolo stood there for a while thinking before he walked towards the direction Popo and Gohan went in.

After a good half-hour Gohan announced he was stuffed and thanked Mr. Popo for the food. He then followed the green namek out to the open of the lookout. Gohan lay on his back with his arms behind his head. He sighed loudly and smiled.

"Well, I guess I should explain myself now." He said to Piccolo, who was standing next to him. "To begin I'm from the future. I came back in a time machine that Bulma made. As to why I am here, a monster named Cell stole one, of the two, time machines Bulma made and came to this time. I'm here to destroy him before he can cause any havoc." Gohan stood and grinned. "Now, to more important things." Gohan said seriously while turning to look at Piccolo.

"Do you know where I can take a shower?" Gohan asked grinning sheepishly. Piccolo nearly fell backwards from the question.

"What the hell? That was and explanation!? A little more detail would be nice." Piccolo demanded, fuming from Gohan's explanation.

"Well that's all there really is to explain. Don't worry so much Piccolo! I've got everything under control. Just make sure you stay away from Cell and me when we begin battling. He's a lot stronger than you are and I don't want anyone to get hurt." Gohan explained seriously.

Piccolo stared into the young man's eyes. He knew there was plenty this future Gohan was not telling him. Gohan's eyes spoke plenty of untold stories alone. There was no real emotion in them. They were dead, nothing like the Gohan he knew. This Gohan was simply masking his emotions.

"How old are you? Surely you can tell me that. I'd like to know how many years into the future you are from." Piccolo asked, staring straight into the young man's emotionless eyes.

"Uh…wait let me think." Gohan sat down crossed leg and put his hand on his chin in deep thought. Piccolo's mouth dropped. How can he not even know how old he is? Piccolo was pulled out of his thoughts when Gohan jumped up.

"I figured it out! I turned 21 two days ago!" Gohan said smiling. "Wow, I actually forgot all about my own birthday. Silly me. Now where can I take a shower?" Gohan asked again looking around. Piccolo sighed and motioned for the young demi-sayain to follow. Once they got to the shower Gohan began peeling off his clothes while Piccolo looked the other way.

"Forgot your birthday, huh? Correct me if I am wrong, but your mother doesn't seem the type to ever forget her son's own birthday. Surely she would have reminded you." Piccolo said smoothly. He waited for an answer but one never came. Instead, as a response, Gohan started the shower.

Piccolo had left the shower room and was waiting outside the door. He expected answers and he was going to get them, even if he had to beat them out of the man. After a long twenty minutes, Gohan finally stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and one on his shoulders. Piccolo didn't look at Gohan and led the way to a bedroom where Gohan could get dressed.

Once in the room, Piccolo once again turned away to allow Gohan to get dressed. Gohan had managed to put on his boxers and his orange pants when he heard Piccolo inhale sharply. He looked over at the namek slightly confused. Piccolo was staring at his chest and back.

"Oh." Gohan said lamely when he realized what Piccolo was staring at. The namek walked up to him and ran a finger down a large white scar that was across Gohan's chest. Piccolo felt Gohan tense at the touch and stepped back.

"Where did you get those?" He asked turning Gohan around to see the one on his back. When Gohan didn't answer Piccolo stared him in the eyes.

"Does it matter? They're there and there isn't anything I can do about it." Gohan said quietly and quickly pulled on his dark blue tee and then his orange gi over it. He sat on the bed and begin putting socks on trying to ignore the eyes that were burning into his back.

"What are you hiding, Gohan?" Piccolo asked as the young man began pulling on his boots. When Gohan didn't reply, Piccolo continued, "I know something bad happened. I have a pretty good idea too."

Gohan looked up at the namek, glaring at him. "You might as well give up because I am not telling you anything. It is not important what happened in my time. What is important is killing that monster before he manages to harm this time as well." With that said Gohan stood and walked outside with Piccolo closely following.

"Was it that bad?" Piccolo asked quietly.

"I need to go see Bulma." Gohan began flying off in the direction of the Capsule Corp. When he realized Piccolo was not following he looked behind him. "You coming?" Piccolo nodded and follow the demi-sayain. In minutes they arrived and Gohan landed at the door and knocked. He could hear someone approaching the door.

Vegeta opened the door and stared at Gohan. He had never seen the man before and became wary.

"Who the hell are you?" He growled.

Piccolo wasn't certain, but he thought he saw a glimpse of affection and regret in Gohan's eyes when he first laid eyes on Vegeta.

"I'm Gohan from the future. Love to chit-chat, short stuff, but I really need to see Bulma." Gohan said quickly getting straight to the point and walked right passed a shocked Vegeta. Gohan felt an arm grab his and he stared at Vegeta.

"What the hell did you just call me? You think I'm stupid enough to believe a story like that you imbecile! Like hell I'm letting you in my house." Vegeta yelled in fury. He pulled the man backwards and threw him out of the house. He then attempted to punch Gohan in the face, but Gohan easily grabbed his fist and tossed him to the ground.

"I was serious when I said that I don't have time to chat, Vegeta." And proceeded into the house. Vegeta stared dumbly at the man who claimed to be Gohan. He then looked at the silent namek.

"What's going on!" Vegeta demanded. "Gohan is a little boy! Not a loud mouthed man."

"Well it's him, Vegeta. I didn't believe it at first either. But, it's definitely Gohan." Piccolo said before following after Gohan. Vegeta stood angrily and followed the namek. When they found Gohan he was already talking quickly with an excited looking Bulma. Bulma noticed Vegeta and ran to him.

"I told you I was a genius, you idiot! I made a TIME MACHINE! Ooooh, I am so awesome." Bulma said jumping up. She walked back to Gohan. "Show me it." Gohan nodded and took out a capsule from his belt. He moved to an open area in the lab, and pressed the button. A large egg shaped capsule formed in the once empty space. Bulma scream and ran over to the machine and began examining every part of the machine as quickly as humanly possible.

"Wow, this is ingenious. I can't believe it!" Bulma yelled happily. Gohan smiled a sad smile at her which wasn't missed by Piccolo.

"It is amazing. But, I'm afraid that when I entered this time, something went wrong. I'm not sure if it's broken or not. The Bulma in my time never told me how to manage it." Gohan said. "So, I was hoping you could fix it. It's of great importance to me." He explained as he walked over to where Bulma was standing.

"I don't know Gohan. I can try, but I can't make any promises since I have no idea how this thing was constructed." Bulma said rubbing her hand over the smooth surface of the machine. Gohan nodded and banged his fist against the time machine.

"YOU IDIOT NO WONDER IT'S BROKEN!" She yelled at Gohan. Gohan blinked as a small compartment opened where he had hit.

"I was just getting the blue prints and notes for the time machine." Gohan said laughing while scratching the back of his head. Bulma took the papers and set them on her desk. "How long do you think it'll take to fix?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll see what I can do, and call you as soon as I figure out the problem." Bulma said not looking up from the papers. Gohan nodded and left the lab with Piccolo and Vegeta.

"So you really are Kakarot's brat from the future." Vegeta said not expecting an answer. Gohan nodded and walked outside. Gohan turned to look at Vegeta.

"Don't tell, Goku, OK? I'll speak to him when the time is right. For now it's best if only you two and Bulma know." Gohan said to Vegeta.

"Why are you here anyway?" Vegeta asked ignoring Gohan.

"I came for a joy ride. I was bored in my time." Gohan said grinning and began to fly off.

"What the hell kind of answer is that, boy?" Vegeta said angrily. This may have been Gohan, but it wasn't the one he knew. This Gohan was a complete smart-ass, and Vegeta didn't like it one bit.

"It's the answer you get." Gohan said simply and flew off.

"I don't like him, namek. Why is he here?" Vegeta asked eyeing Piccolo.

"I'm not sure, but I plan on finding out." Piccolo half lied. He knew Gohan had probably lied to Vegeta to keep him from going after Cell. Piccolo could tell Cell was definitely not an opponent that they could handle at this time, he could see it in Gohan's eyes every time he spoke of Cell. With that said Piccolo took off. When he reached the Lookout, Gohan was already there talking with Mr. Popo. He landed just as Mr. Popo was showing Gohan a place where he could sleep. Piccolo followed silently.

"So are you going to continue to stalk me?" Gohan asked laughing once Mr. Popo and left the room.

"I don't trust you right now. You have given me no reason to." Piccolo stated as Gohan pulled off his shirts.

"I haven't given you a reason not to trust me either." Gohan pointed out as he pulled off his boots.

"You're hiding something important from me." Piccolo growled back. Gohan chuckled and slid under the covers and sighed.

"Well I'm going to get some rest. I'm really tired." Gohan said turning on his stomach and closing his eyes. He waited for the namek to leave, but Piccolo didn't move. Gohan sighed again and sat up and looked Piccolo in the eyes.

"What do you want to know?" Gohan asked. He didn't plan on answering any of the name's questions truthfully.

"What happened to everyone in your time?" Piccolo asked a bit surprised that Gohan gave in so quickly.

"Nothing happened to anyone. I was simply the best choice to go after Cell, I am the strongest." Gohan answered. "Can I get some sleep now?" Piccolo grunted and left the room. He knew Gohan was lying, but decided he could figure out what happened another way. Once Gohan was asleep he would come back and read his mind.

It was night when Piccolo returned to Gohan's room. He slipped in quietly so he didn't wake the demi-sayain. He crept over as quietly as possible and stood by the man's bed. Gohan was on his stomach, face buried in his pillow. Piccolo slowly reached out his hand and placed it on top of Gohan's head. He then focused his ki and allowed his mind to clear of any thoughts. He then pushed his own mind into Gohan's and the bedroom disappeared.

Piccolo was standing in a room. He looked around and realized he was on Goku's home. The air was foggy with sadness and anger. He took in the scene around him. Goku was lying motionless in a bed, and Piccolo right away realized he was dead. Chichi was crying in Ox King's arms. Vegeta was standing in the doorway muttering something to himself. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Bulma all how their heads bowed. Some crying while others seemed too shocked at what they were seeing. He saw himself and when he glanced down saw the little boy. His black hair reached half way down his back. He couldn't have been older than six or seven. His eyes holding unshed tears, as if trying to be strong for the people around him. _"Gohan."_ Piccolo thought to himself.

Suddenly the scene changed and he was in a crumbled city. He looked around and saw a man with black hair that stopped just below his chin, and a blond girl whose hair also reached to her chin. They were laughing over while standing next to an unmoving body. Piccolo gasped when he realized it was Krillin's body. He looked around and saw an unmoving form that was Yamcha, and a little further away the bodies of Tien and Chiaotzu. Gohan was off to the side standing next to Vegeta. The anger he sensed from the small boy made Piccolo flinch.

"Whose next?" The blond woman asked in a sing-song voice.

"Gohan, go find Piccolo. I'll distract them so you can escape." Vegeta said quietly.

"What! No way, Vegeta. They will kill you!" Gohan argued back hotly.

"I will not tell you twice, boy. I'll be fine. Even if I die, then at least I can rest assured that you will be able to destroy these bastards. You have potential, Gohan. I won't let you die here. Make us all proud and train hard." Vegeta said looking down at the boy softly. Gohan stared at the man and then nodded, trying hard to keep the tears away.

"I promise, Vegeta. I won't fail you. I will avenge every ones' deaths!" Gohan whispered fiercely at the older man. Vegeta smirked and began to attack the man and woman. Gohan flew off now letting his tears stream down his face. _"I'm sorry Vegeta. I promise I will not die until they are dead. I promise to never be this weak again and never again will I shed a tear. I will be strong!"_ Gohan promised himself as he flew away trying to ignore Vegeta's screams of pain.

Piccolo blinked and was now in a forest. In front of him stood a much older Gohan. Piccolo guess around ten or eleven. Gohan's hair was cut in a similar fashion to what Goku's had been. Standing across from Gohan, was the future Piccolo.

"You're never going to beat the androids unless you have faith in yourself, Gohan!" Future Piccolo yelled at the boy. Gohan did not respond but attacked with as much might as he could muster up. But, every punch and kick Gohan sent out, Future Piccolo was able to block each one. Gohan screamed out in anger, increasing his speed and energy, finally he was able to kick Future Piccolo and sending him into a tree.

"Better. But not good enough!" Future Piccolo yelled with incredible speed to hit the boy. Gohan braced himself for the attack that never came. When Gohan opened his eyes, Piccolo's fist was inches from his face.

"Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan asked when he saw Piccolo's face. Gohan turned to see what had paused his mentor in his attack. "Crap." Gohan muttered when he realized what was wrong.

Floating above them a few feet away were both androids. They were smiling down on them.

"Ready to play?" The male asked laughing. It sent chills down Gohan and he looked at his mentor not sure what to do. Future Piccolo looked down at the small boy. The boy was not only his student or best friend. He had begun to feel like a son to him. Future Piccolo suddenly grabbed Gohan into a hug.

"I love you, Gohan. Don't die, make me proud to be able to call you my best friend and student. I believe in you." With that said Piccolo knocked the boy out before Gohan could protest.

Everything went black for Piccolo, then he realized since Gohan was unconscious, that Piccolo couldn't see anything since it was Gohan's memories. Piccolo tried to scan ahead of the dark, and finally was brought back to the same forest. Gohan was rubbing the back of his head, confused. The last thing Piccolo heard before he was yanked from the memories was Gohan's yell.

Piccolo blinked when he realized he was back in the bedroom. He blinked again when he realized he was looking into the face of a very angered older Gohan. He tried to pull away from those deadly looking eyes, but Gohan was holding on to his wrist.

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**Well that's it for the first chapter. It's not the best thing ever written, but I like it. Let me know what you think. I don't know how often I'll update this, since I am working on my other story. But, if it get's enough reviews I'll try and multitask to my best and try and please my readers. Don't be afraid to tell me it sucks! =) I promise I won't bite. I was going to say something else but I forgot...oh well! Cya!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mkay, well this chapter is rather short, was only four pages when I wrote it. I wasn't really planning on updating so soon, especially since I only got two reviews. But, for those two reviewers, I decided to update. So, thank you **xdevil-childx **and** no name. **Hopefully you will like this chapter, I felt Piccolo got a little OOC, but it cannot be helped!  
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**Enjoy.**

_Disclaimer__: I do not own DBZ or any of it's characters. _

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**Chapter 2.**

"Damn you." Gohan said too calmly. He let go of Piccolo's wrist and quickly left the room, his power level shooting up at a fast pace. Piccolo followed cautiously. He stepped outside and found the Gohan had ascended a level far beyond one he had ever seen anyone ascend to other than Goku. _"Super Sayain." _Piccolo said to himself in complete awe. Up until now, Piccolo thought Gohan was no more stronger than himself. Gohan had managed to keep his ki at a very low level. Now his power was reaching far beyond Piccolo's own power, and was still rising. Gohan collapsed on his knees yelling in fury. He began hitting the ground with his fists in anger. This was the first real emotion Gohan had shown since he arrived. Piccolo knew Gohan had been masking any emotion since he had gotten to the Lookout. Piccolo was not fooled by the façade Gohan put on. But, to see this much anger rise so suddenly was unsettling.

"Damn it, Gohan! Get a hold of yourself!" Piccolo heard Gohan say to himself. Gohan continued to curse with every punch and telling himself to calm down. Piccolo was too shocked to know what to do, he had never thought of Gohan as a violent or easily angered person. The Gohan he knew was quiet, shy, and kind beyond belief. Piccolo understood now what Kami had meant when he said that the Gohan in this time and the Gohan from the future were different. Piccolo shook his thoughts out of his head when he felt Gohan's power level begin to go down, until he was back to what he had been at when he had arrived at the Lookout.

Gohan was breathing heavily with sweat on his forehead and chest. He slowly rose, not meeting Piccolo's eyes. He was trying his hardest to keep his temper at bay and trying even harder to not lash out at the green namek. _"Damn my temper. I could have hurt him!"_ Gohan yelled at himself, finally he looked the namek in the eyes. Piccolo saw a tinge of regret in the man's eyes before Gohan once more masked all his emotions. His body relaxed and an embarrassed smile took over his now calm face. Piccolo was amazed at how quickly Gohan was able to change his mood.

"Sorry." Gohan said so quietly that Piccolo was glad for his good hearing. Gohan sat down, shoulders slumped and legs crossed beneath him. "Sorry." He said again sighing. Piccolo wasn't sure what to say, partially worried he might send the demi-sayain into another fit.

"I have a bad temper. Sometimes it gets out of control." Gohan said softly with a hollow laugh. He then turned his head and looked up at Piccolo with a piercing gaze. "You shouldn't have done that. If I wanted to tell you then I would have. What you did was a violation of my privacy. I trusted you." Gohan said angrily.

"I-I'm sorry, Gohan. But, I had to know. I had to know…why your so dead inside. You put on a smile, but it isn't fooling me. Your eyes speak the truth. From what I can tell, you're far from being anywhere near happy." Piccolo said sitting down next to Gohan.

"What I am or am not feeling is none of your concern. You're making the mistake of comparing me to the Gohan in this time. I am not that boy and he will never be me. He will never be me because I won't allow what happened in my time, happen here." Gohan replied. Piccolo was about to argue when another question popped into his mind instead.

"In your time, your father died when you were young, then those things the; 'androids', they attacked only about a year or two later. It doesn't make sense. Why is it that in this time you are already nine, but nothing has attacked? Also, if it was the androids that did all that killing, why are you after this Cell?" Piccolo asked curiously. Gohan had a thoughtful look on his face as he began to answer.

After everyone died, except for Bulma and her son Trunks, I began fighting the androids. When I found you dead, I managed to let loose a new power. Super Sayain. Years I spent training Trunks trying to help him pass to the Super Sayain level as well. I was able to fight the androids, but never beat them. I needed another sayain's help. Vegeta was Trunk's father." Gohan said looking at the confused expression on Piccolo's face. "One day the androids found us training and decided to attack. I couldn't get Trunks away in time." Gohan said fiercely, trying to control his temper and power. "I ended up being knocked out, and when I came to, Trunks was already dead. I wasn't far odd from being dead myself, but I managed to get to the Capsule Corp. Bulma was making us each a time machine, hoping to get us away from the place so that Trunks could grow up normally, and I could come back to the past and stop the androids before they were created." Gohan explained stopping to catch a breath before he continued. "When I get to the Capsule Corp, Bulma wasn't there, instead there were two capsules that had two of the completed time machines. The third was not finished yet, and I blew it up. I then set off to try and find Bulma. I found her after a while. She had set out to try and find Trunks and me. Apparently the androids found her first." Gohan paused again to force his emotions to stay at bay. "I went back to the Capsule Corp. and destroyed the entire building, not wanting the androids to figure out how to go to the past. I then took one of the time machines and went back in time a few years before the androids were to be released. I found where they were being kept and destroyed them. After I was sure the past was changed, I returned to my time. I never expected to destroy them…" Gohan trailed off and Piccolo knew what Gohan had been planning. He wanted to die, to with the ones he loved again. Piccolo stayed silent waiting for the young man to continue and he finally did.

"When I got back though, the androids were nowhere to be found. A wave of relief had washed over me until I realized what happened." Gohan said with a small shudder. "When I had gone back in time something in my time changed. I messed up the time-line somehow and Cell was created. He was an android that was made to absorb the other two androids. I was happy at first, thinking it would be easier to defeat one opponent than two. We started to battled, and that's when I realized he was much stronger than the androids had been. During out battle, one of the capsules that held a time machine fell out of my pocket. Cell got a hold of it and decided to make a game." Gohan pounded his fists into the ground. "Damn it I was careless and he managed to go to another time. I was lucky that Bulma had built in a radar in the time machines that was able to track down the other time machine. So for the past year I have been hunting Cell down and stopping him from messing up history and finding a way to become stronger, so far I've managed to win. When we traveled to this time something happened to both time machines. I know his is also broken like mine. I plan on destroying him once and for all." Gohan finished angrily.

Both men stayed quiet for a while. Piccolo was letting everything Gohan told him sink in. He looked at the young man in pure admiration. So much had happened and yet Gohan managed to keep going.

"Don't look at me like that." Gohan said sensing Piccolo's feelings. "I'm exhausted, not physically, but mentally. There's nothing I want more than dying. I don't plan on living after I kill Cell. Fighting Cell is suicide, that's why I need Bulma to fix my time machine. I plan on going back to my time before I die." Gohan said quietly, ashamed at admitting his plans. Piccolo stared hard at Gohan. _"So he wants to kill himself?"_ Piccolo thought to himself, and that thought made him sick.

"Gohan." Piccolo said slowly. He didn't want to upset Gohan anymore than necessary. "You watched everyone you loved die, but I have a feeling there's more to what happened to you after that. What did those androids do to you?"

Gohan laughed a loud hollow laugh. He looked straight into Piccolo's eyes. "They didn't want to kill me until I begged for death. I was a toy for them. They wanted to see how long it took for me to break." Gohan said too calmly for Piccolo's liking. Piccolo didn't want to think about how they could 'break' Gohan. The scars on Gohan's back and chest came to his mind and he shivered.

"I'm sorry." Was all Piccolo could think of saying. Gohan shook his head and looked at Piccolo.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. What happened, happened and there's nothing I can do to change it. All I can do is look to the future and fight to save this time from a same fate." Gohan said rising from the ground. He began walking back to his bedroom. He stopped and looked behind him at Piccolo and smiled. "Don't forget. I'm not him, Piccolo. I'm not the boy that you love. So don't do anything stupid like try and fight Cell. He needs you to stay safe and alive. You may not realize it, but you are very important to him." Gohan said and walked into his bedroom and shut the door.

Piccolo stared at the door for a long while before standing up. He looked up to the sky and finally let his tears spill over. Piccolo was never one to deal with any kind of emotion, but he couldn't help it. _"You can ask me not to think of you as being the boy I know. But, you cannot ask me to ignore my love for you because whether you like it or not, kid, you're still Gohan, and I will always care about you." _Piccolo thought to himself.

The next morning Gohan awoke early. His stomach was a bundle of nerves. He had to think of a way to approach Goku without letting him know who he was.

"I guess I can just make up a name and only explain the important facts to him. Dad was never very bright." Gohan said out loud to himself. With that Gohan clapped his hands together and pulled on his shirts and boots. He then walked outside and began his daily exercises. Gohan was in the middle of doing push-ups when Piccolo arrived.

"Your up early." Piccolo stated simply.

"I like…97...watching…98.…the…99.…sunrise…100." Gohan said between push-ups. Piccolo smirked. A strong warrior like Gohan enjoying a sunrise. It was somehow soothing for Piccolo to know that Gohan still enjoyed the simple things in life. This Gohan may say he's nothing like the young Gohan, but it was not completely true.

Gohan stood with Piccolo as the sun rose. It never ceased to amaze Gohan that he was able to watch another day begin. Gohan had always thought he would have died at a younger age, and the only way to truly remind himself that he was in fact, alive and breathing was to watch the sun rise. It was like the world telling him he had another day to make everything right and to not take advantage of it because he may not get the chance to see another one the next day.

During breakfast Piccolo noticed that Gohan wasn't eating as much as he had yesterday.

"Want to spar?" Gohan asked once he finished eating.

"Sure. As long as you don't go super sayain. We both know I'm no match for you." Piccolo answered. Both stood up and walked outside where they would have plenty of room.

"Ready?" Gohan asked grinning. Before Piccolo had a chance to respond, Gohan was already attacking. Piccolo barely dodged by swinging around and grabbing Gohan's foot. Gohan spun in the air and attempted to kick Piccolo with his free foot. Piccolo released Gohan's foot and ducked before Gohan managed the kick. Piccolo then made a punch for Gohan's gut, but Gohan easily blocked the punch with his knee. For a while Gohan played the defense, allowing Piccolo to do all the attacking. When Gohan became bored he switched roles and was attacking Piccolo. This went on, neither able to hit one another for a while. For Piccolo it was no longer a game of whom would win, but instead a way for him to learn more about this Gohan. He found Gohan was still incredibly smart, and instead of fighting with power or speed, he fought solely with his mind. He always seemed three steps ahead of Piccolo, reading the man to easily counter each and every move. Piccolo knew that if Gohan wanted, he could have already finished Piccolo, even if his ki was lower than Piccolos. Another thing Piccolo found out was the young man still fought with his heart. Every kick and punch was filled with a fierce passion and determination. This Gohan had complete confidence in himself. He fought telling himself that there was no way he could lose. Piccolo admired this and wondered how he managed to fight this way when Gohan had not been able to defeat the androids. Piccolo was certain that the young Gohan he knew so well would have lost even more confidence if he had constantly lost. The last thing Piccolo learned from fighting with Gohan was that the man had a lot of pride. The entire time Gohan held a firm smirk on his face, letting Piccolo know that he was going to win from the start. The way Gohan fought was almost arrogant. He seemed so full of himself that Piccolo wondered if that was his downfall when he was fighting with the androids. Piccolo automatically assumed that Gohan had to have picked this up from Vegeta.

Gohan decided it was time to end the spar and began fighting seriously. Within minutes he had Piccolo on the ground. Gohan laughed and helped the namek up from the ground. Piccolo accepted the hand and stood, dusting himself off.

"You fight with your sensei's mind, your father's heart, and Vegeta's pride." Piccolo stated with a smirk. "I am rather surprised by your fighting skills. I would have thought that having lost so much, you would not be so confident in yourself."

"My sensei once said 'We can't give up just because things aren't the way we want them to be'. Those words give me my determination. I took what I learned from the people around me and put it to good use. I used what I have learned to push myself forward and stay alive. Then again, my sensei was not always the brightest." Gohan joked. Piccolo laughed and threw and energy beam towards Gohan. Gohan hit it away.

"Hey Piccolo! Who's your friend?" Came a familiar cheery voice. Gohan tensed.

* * *

**Well! I wonder who the mysterious voice is??? Hehe I'm sure you can probably guess. Anyway, I realize this does not follow the DBZ storyline at all...so forgive me! I wanted this story to be some what unique and with my own mind in it. I just love Mirai Gohan oh-so very much. He's just so cool. I've already decided I am going to have a sequel. *yay* Anyway, if I get atleast two reviews for this chapter, I will update soon. I always welcome flames, because they are helpful for me. Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors, I'm still learning! Anyway, I'm going to shut up now because I keep telling myself I talk too much.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update!! I've been sick all week so I have not written anything. But, I sucked up my sickness and wrote this. This chapter isn't the greatest. I felt like it needed more, but didn't know what. I also feel that it's a bit too rushed, and I guess it kind of is. I posted anyway, because I would rather let my reviews let me know if it sucks or not. I tried hard to find any mistakes, but forgive me if there are any.**

**Enjoy.**

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own DBZ or any of its' characters. _

_

* * *

_**Chapter 3.**

"Crap I wasn't ready to see him yet!" Gohan whispered. Piccolo looked over at Gohan then back at Goku as he began making his way over towards the other two.

"Goku. What brings you here?" Piccolo asked ignoring Goku's question.

"Well I felt a really strong power coming from here last night and I came by to check it out. Was it you Piccolo?" Goku asked innocently while looking at Gohan.

Piccolo looked over to Gohan, not sure what to say. Gohan nodded slowly giving Piccolo permission to tell the truth.

"Actually it was him." Piccolo told Goku and pointed at Gohan. Goku eyed Gohan a bit and Gohan squirmed. Gohan felt the eyes boring into him, studying him, knowing something was weird about him. It made Gohan uncomfortable being studied by Goku, and knowing Goku didn't fully trust him.

"Erm…" Gohan wasn't sure what to say. A part of him was yelling for him to lie, while another part of him, the child part, was yelling at him to hug his father and blab the truth. He could feel Goku's eyes on him once more. _"Damn it!"_ Gohan sighed internally. He looked at his father and decided the best thing would be to tell his father the truth. "I-I think maybe you should sit down." Gohan began. He didn't know why he felt so nervous in Goku's presence. Gohan grew up never really knowing the man, except for what others had told him. He didn't think it would be this hard to talk to him, but Goku was bringing out the child in Gohan, and Gohan didn't like it. It made him feel weak and vulnerable. _"If you tell him who you are then he's going to start treating you like his son. You are not his son, not really. You have to focus on Cell, not dad." _Gohan struggled with his inner thoughts. He sighed and looked at a sitting Goku. "I'm from another planet. I came here in search for a monster named Cell. He was made on the planet I am from, and escaped by stealing a ship. He is looking to kill anything that gets in his way of his goal. His goal is to become stronger and destroy the Earth." Gohan said quickly, he was a decent liar, but lying to his father made him feel terrible.

Goku blinked a couple of times before nodding. He rubbed his chin with his hand and looked up, as if thinking. Goku stood and walked a little closer to Gohan. "Okay. That makes sense. There are just a couple questions I have, if that's okay." Goku said and continued once Gohan nodded slowly. "Why can't I sense this Cell?"

"He is able to keep his ki power extremely low. I could find him if I tried hard enough, but I still have not recovered fully from my last fight with him. I'm biding my time, hoping he stays hidden for a while longer." Gohan said truthfully.

Goku nodded, "Oh. Well, what about your clothes? They look just like mine! Just the symbol is different."

Gohan mentally slapped himself. He had forgotten his was wearing his father's gi. "Uh-well you see…I erm…" Gohan stuttered trying to think of something convincing.

"I gave them to him. When he came here, his clothes were in rags. I was going to give him something normal, but as I was making them, I messed up and thought of your clothes." Piccolo cut in, saving Gohan from giving himself away. If Goku didn't believe Piccolo he didn't show it and once again nodded.

"So, is Cell strong? You seem pretty strong so if you have not beaten him yet, then he must be strong too."

"Yes, so far even I haven't seen his true power. I can beat him though, I know it." Gohan said, pride dripping off every word. "I do want some backup though, and you seem like just the person. That is, if you are willing to let me help you train. Incase I die, I'd like to know someone else was here to finish Cell." Gohan added.

"Me? Wow! That be great." Goku grinned a huge lopsided grin. "Oh, what's your name?"

"Um…'G'." Gohan said quickly.

"G? Well nice to meet you G!"

"Yea, nice to meet you _G_." Piccolo said with a smirk. Gohan glared at him then turned back to his father.

"How about you come by tomorrow around the same time, and we will get started."

"Yea! That sounds great. Perfect timing to since my wife is going to be visiting her father and my son is going with her." Goku explained happily.

----

The next morning Goku showed up right after breakfast. He and Gohan began their training right away. Piccolo stood back and watched. He watched Gohan when Goku first arrived and saw the sudden emotions that went past his black eyes. Affection, love, fear, regret, and sadness. Piccolo figured Gohan wanted nothing more than to be held by his father's strong hands. Piccolo realized the last time Gohan saw the man was when he was only six. That was a long time to go with no father, and Piccolo couldn't help but feel sorry for Gohan. Piccolo sensed that Gohan had wanted to tell his father the truth, but thought better of it. _"Always thinking of other's first Gohan. You keep putting other's happiness and safety before your own. That's another thing that has not changed."_ Piccolo smiled at the thought. Every minute he spent with this Gohan, he was finding bits of the Gohan he knew. Piccolo knew that the boy was somewhere hidden in this man, lost and confused. Piccolo swore he would help bring the young Gohan to the surface.

The next few days followed a similar routine. Gohan would awaken early, watch the sunrise, eat, then spar with Goku. Piccolo was noticing that Gohan had trouble sleeping, and often heard the young man yell out in his sleep. Piccolo attempted to comfort Gohan several times, but always found himself afraid to do so. He just didn't know how to comfort someone, so instead he would try to confront Gohan in the mornings. Gohan always shrugged off the questions and changed the subject.

A week after Gohan had arrived, he and Piccolo were watching another sun rise. Gohan had another sleepless night and Piccolo was planning on getting an answer this morning.

----

"What do you dream about?' Piccolo asked for the hundredth time. "Don't lie to me. I want an answer, Gohan."

"It's not important. They're just dreams, not real." Gohan said, though he wasn't sure if it was meant to comfort Piccolo or himself.

"Screw that. If it's bad enough to have you screaming bloody murder, then it's important. Did you ever think that maybe talking about it might help?" Piccolo said angry that Gohan would not give in. Piccolo was about to yell at the man when he saw Gohan trying hard to compose himself. Piccolo saw the young man's eyes turn hard as he relived a terrible part of his past. He then looked up at Piccolo and his eyes softened.

"I can't tell you about it. Not yet." Gohan whispered, "I'm not ready." With that said he turned to leave. Piccolo grabbed Gohan's shoulder which surprised both Gohan and Piccolo. Piccolo wasn't sure what made himself stop the young man.

"When you're ready, I'll listen." Piccolo said softly before letting go of Gohan. He heard Gohan chuckle lightly before mumbling something that sounded like, 'Yea, I know.' The rest of the morning was quiet until Goku showed up.

----

"Hey, D-Goku." Gohan corrected quickly, hoping Goku would not catch the mistake.

"Hey, G! Hey Piccolo!" Goku called back waving as he began walking up to the two.

Piccolo gave a small nod as Goku finally reached them.

"Ready to start?" Gohan asked, beginning to stretch his tight muscles and glancing at Goku.

"Actually, about that. We've been at it for a week now with no breaks. Bulma invited my wife, son and myself over to her house for lunch. When I told her about you she said she knew you and to invite you. I didn't know you knew Bulma." Goku asked a little wary.

"I asked her to fix my ship. Piccolo told me she was the smartest woman around when it came to anything mechanical." Gohan explained, telling the truth about her being smart and needing her to fix something.

"Ah! That makes sense. Well anyway, so how about we take a break and head over there? A break would help and I love food!" Goku said laughing a musical laugh.

"I don't know…" Gohan said unsure. He really didn't want to waste any time that could be spent training and preparing Goku for Cell. He also didn't want to get close the people here, it would only be making leaving here that much harder. Not to mention, both Bulma and Vegeta knew who he really was. Everything could turn out bad. Apparently, Goku wasn't going to take no for an answer and grabbed Gohan by his wrist and began pulling him into the air.

"Breaks are good for the soul! Piccolo are you coming?" Goku asked the namek.

"No thanks." Piccolo wasn't very social and had better things to do then watch a bunch of dimwits doing dimwitted things. Goku shrugged and flew off with Gohan behind.

Goku looked at the man flying behind him. Goku could tell he was in deep thought, the young man always seemed so tense. Goku was hoping this would help loosen him up a little.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Goku asked breaking Gohan out of his thoughts. Gohan blinked.

"Erm…just stuff." He said slowly.

"Oh? Hmm, I'll try and guess." Goku said quietly and put his hand on his chin thinking. Gohan smiled at his father. He wished he had gotten a chance to know the man better. He seemed like a lot of fun and a really caring person. Gohan chuckled at how hard Goku was thinking.

"Hey, don't hurt your brain thinking. How about you don't worry about what goes on inside my brain?" Gohan said amused. Goku laughed at him and nodded.

"_Well hey! That was a start, he actually cracked a joke and laughed." _Goku said pleased with himself. They finally reached the Capsule Corp and landed in the back yard where a group of people were gathered around a large table.

----

"Hey, we're here!" Goku yelled happily waving to the group. When they landed a boy of about nine or ten ran up and hugged Goku.

"Hi, Daddy!" He giggled, happy his father had finally arrived.

"Hey, Gohan!" Goku laughed as he put his son on his shoulders and walked over to Chihi, Bulma, Vegeta, and Krillin. Gohan stayed where he was and took in the scene. It would be nice to have one happy memory before to think about when his other memories were too much for him. He smiled softly and he felt a small pang in his heart. He couldn't remember ever looking that happy when he saw his younger self laughing with his father. Gohan had the sudden urge to leave, and was about to when Goku called him over. Gohan hesitantly walked over to the smiling group of people.

"This is the guy I was telling you about, Chichi. I told you I wasn't lying!" Goku said happily to his wife. Chichi eyed the man down with slight hate. Gohan flinched, the only look his mother had ever given him was affection or anger.

"So you're the one who has been keeping my Goku away from home!" She accused with a finger. Gohan felt a tinge of guilt. He had not thought about Goku being away from his family when he was training with Gohan.

"Sorry." Gohan said quietly hanging his head slightly.

"Aw, come on Chichi! It isn't his fault. I've been asking him to train with me everyday." Goku said defending Gohan. Chichi turned and glared at her husband before stalking off to where Bulma was standing. Gohan sighed a sigh of relief that his mother was no longer giving him that hateful look.

"My Daddy says you're really strong. Even stronger than him!" The younger Gohan said to the older Gohan.

"I'm not that strong, and your dad is really strong. I haven't been able to beat him yet. It always ends in a draw." Future Gohan said smiling. The younger Gohan smiled and ran off to play with Krillin who slapped future Gohan on the back before tackling the younger Gohan. Of course, he was not using anywhere near his true powers or fighting skills against, Goku. Gohan looked over at Vegeta, who was glaring at Gohan. It unnerved him slightly, because for him it felt Vegeta was blaming him for something.

"Okay everyone! Let's eat." Bulma declared. Everyone went to the table and started filling their plates with food.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Bulma asked Gohan.

"I ate a big breakfast." Gohan said honestly. Bulma just nodded and went back to chatting with Chichi. Everyone sat in silence. Everyone being to busy eating to talk. After lunch Chichi declared she had a lot of work to do and that Gohan had to study. Gohan groaned but didn't complain. Instead he picked his mother up, said goodbye to everyone and began flying off.

"Goku! You better not come home too late." Chichi warned. Goku nodded as Gohan and Chichi flew off. Goku turned to Krillin and they began talking about the older days. Vegeta and Gohan glared at each other and Bulma began cleaning up.

----

Goku and Krillin walked over to the two glaring men. Krillin laughed.

"Gee you two. It looks like you're ready to bite each others' heads off! Lighten up some!" Krillin joked earning himself a glare from Vegeta. Krillin quickly stopped laughing.

"I should probably get going." Gohan said quickly, worried Vegeta would say something about who he really was. If only he had known it wasn't Vegeta he should have been worried about.

"Already, Gohan? You should stay for a while." Bulma said. As soon as the words left her mouth her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Good job, stupid woman." Vegeta muttered.

"What?" Goku asked staring at Gohan with wide eyes. "Why'd you call him Gohan, Bulma?"

"Uh, err, I…crap I'm sorry, Gohan!" Bulma stuttered and slapped her forehead when she said his name again.

"Maybe you should go inside, woman. Before you mess anything else up." Vegeta said with a smirk. Bulma glared at him but did go inside worried Gohan might kill her.

"I'm confused. So your name is Gohan too?" Krillin asked, "Goku? I thought you said his name was G?

"That's what I thought too." Goku looked at Gohan suspiciously. "What's going on? Who are you really!" Goku demanded slightly angered at being lied to.

Vegeta laughed and looked at Goku. "This, Kakarot, is your son from the future. I'm surprised you couldn't tell it was him with all the time you spent with him. Pathetic not even being able to recognize your own son." Vegeta smirked and crossed his arms amused and Goku's stunned face and Gohan's glowering one.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Goku asked with a hurt tone. The idea that his own son lied to him hurt.

Gohan looked between the three men and sighed. "So much for keeping everything discreet, Vegeta. Thanks a lot." Gohan grumbled. He didn't like the mess he was in, he was stupid for coming here today. He'd have to remember to kill Bulma later.

"Well?" Goku asked a little impatiently. "Is it true that there is even a monster on Earth? Or was that a lie too?" Gohan flinched at the word 'lie'. He felt terrible that he lied to his father and felt even worse being called a liar by him.

"No…that wasn't a lie." Gohan said slowly, "But, that was exactly why I lied. I didn't want you to get emotionally involved with this fight. I thought that if I failed at destroying Cell that it would be easier for you to focus on fighting Cell, without worrying that he had killed your…son." Gohan said uneasily.

"Don't feel so bad Kakarot. He lied to me too. Not letting me know there was someone here on Earth for me to kill." Vegeta said, "Don't bother with your training boy, I will take care of this 'Cell' myself.

"Don't you fucking dare go anywhere near that monster." Gohan said through gritted teeth, trying his best to not let his temper flare at the arrogant man. Everyone was surprised at Gohan's sudden outburst.

"Just because you were too weak to destroy him, doesn't mean I am. You're a fool if you think I can not beat him. You should have just told me earlier and I could have already killed him." Vegeta said cockily.

The next thing that happened shocked everyone, including Gohan. In a blink of an eye Gohan had Vegeta pinned on the ground and was sitting on top of him.

"I know you better than you think. I know you are an arrogant bastard, damn it. I let you die once before and I refuse to allow you to die again. So pull you fat ass head out of you damn ass and listen to me when I say you are not to go anywhere fucking near Cell." Gohan growled loudly and got off an extremely pissed off Vegeta, "That goes for you two as well." Gohan pointed at Krillin and Goku. "Unless I die no one is to fight him. If I find out anyone has even thought about going after him, I will personally send their ass to a grave myself." Gohan said heatedly. His temper was getting the best of him and he was having trouble staying in control.

Goku sensed the inner turmoil in the man and walked over to him. He stared his son in his eyes and grabbed him into a hug. Gohan was startled and tensed at the touch. Goku hugged his son harder, not wanting to think about what could have put that dead look in his son's eyes. Or what could have made him such a violent and temperamental person. He could feel Gohan slowly relax and soon he was back to normal.

"It's okay, son." Goku said quietly. "It's okay."

Gohan felt his mask slowly slipping and quickly composed himself and pulled away from his father's strong and warm embrace.

"Sorry." He said ashamed that once again he let his anger get the best of him. He swore that was going to be his damned down fall if he didn't learn to control it.

"Well, I think it's time to go home. Heh heh." Krillin said nervously and quickly said his goodbyes and left.

Gohan walked over to the still shocked Vegeta on the ground. He reached his hand out to help the man off the ground, but Vegeta growled and smacked the hand away and stood. He kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to think of something witty to say, so that he could save his image and pride. Finally, he looked away from the young man, anger in his eyes.

"Let's go back to the Lookout and talk there Gohan." Goku said, he sensed the tension between Vegeta and Gohan, and did not want another outburst from either men. Gohan nodded and flew off without looking Vegeta in the face. Goku followed waving to Vegeta before he caught up with his son. Neither man spoke as they flew back to the Lookout.

----

Piccolo sensed the tension as soon as Gohan and Goku landed. The tense and hurt look on Goku's faced revealed that he found the truth about Gohan and Gohan's unsure and upset face revealed that it had not turned out good.

"Will you explain yourself to me Gohan? Why were you sent here alone to fight a monster than you are not sure you can kill. Why did I let you come alone?" Goku asked one too many questions for Gohan's tired mind to process.

"You didn't send me here and I am sure I can defeat him. I'm just smart enough to have a back up plan." Gohan explained, his eyes suddenly feeling heavy and his head foggy with a bad headache. All he wanted was to lie down and go to sleep. Piccolo seemed to noticed this and interrupted Goku before he continued his interrogation on Gohan.

"Gohan, why don't you go get some rest, and I'll explain everything to your father. I'll tell him what you told me the other night and also what I saw in your memories that night." Piccolo said. Gohan nodded and left to take a shower.

"You should sit down Goku. It isn't a pretty story." Piccolo said grimly. He really didn't want to have to explain to Goku that his son's life went from crap to shit and never got any better. But, Piccolo knew Gohan was about to have a nervous breakdown and felt he owned at least this much to Gohan.

* * *

**I thought this would be a good place to leave off for the next chapter. I do already have some of the next chapter written, so hopefully it won't take to long to update. By the way, when I write this story I have to have certain songs playing to help me write this. They're songs that I use because they reflect Gohan, if anyone wants to really understand this Mirai Gohan character listen to these songs while reading. "Weight of The World" By Saliva, "The Way I Feel" by 12 Stones, "No Roads Left" by Linkin Park, "Goodbye" by Sr-71 and finally "Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace(Song is perfect for Gohan hehe)...But yea anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter, try an review so I know if this is any good or not.**


	4. Chapter 4

Well, here's chapter 4. It's not the best, but I felt bad that it's been so long since I updated. I'm trying really hard to write, but it's hard right now with school and I've been sick. Anyway, forgive me =) Enjoy the chapter. It's short, but I'm going to try a new thing where I write less and update more, HOPEFULLY! haha. Also, sorry for any mistakes, I looked over it, but probably missed some stuff.

* * *

Goku stared out at the horizon. The sun had set hour ago, but he didn't feel like moving. Everything that was happening felt like a hazy dream that he could not escape. He wasn't sure were Piccolo had gone after he explained what he knew about his future son. Those two words kept repeating themselves in his mind. Future son. Over and over like a broken record player. It was too hard to believe his kind, sweet, honest, shy, little boy was now this man. The short time he'd spent with the grown Gohan gave him a glimpse of what was under the mask.

Goku sighed and finally turned away from the empty darkness and set off to find Piccolo. He was headed towards the kitchen when he noticed Piccolo standing next to Gohan. They failed to notice him, which didn't surprise him, for they looked like they were in a heated discussion. He felt bad for eavesdropping like a child, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"I understand that you are concerned, but you have to stop comparing me to the Gohan you know! I'm not him, and I never have been. I'm the fucked up version of him. So what I plan to do, is non of your concern." Gohan said in a voice that had irritated written all over it.

Piccolo growled, "I'm not comparing you to anyone, Gohan. I simple want to know what you plan to do if you know Cell is going to win. I can already tell you aren't going to sit back and let him kill you. What do you have up your sleeve? Since you got here, you have done nothing but lie to us all!"

"Lie? I haven't lied about anything. It's called a need to know basis. I tell you only what you need to know to keep you alive. Cell is not your fight, he's mine. The only reason I'm training Goku is a precaution. I don't expect him to have to fight. Quit pestering me about Cell, my plans, and my damned past." That said, Gohan turned to walk off.

Piccolo was about to reach out to stop the half-sayain, when Gohan stopped mid stride and lowered his head. Goku almost missed what Gohan had said, "Besides, if you knew the real me and what I've done," at this he turned to look at Piccolo, with a face full of agony, "you wouldn't be able to look at me without disgust." Gohan whispered and turned to walk away again. Piccolo stared after Gohan, unsure of what to say or do, and Goku felt a shiver run down his back that had nothing to do with the cool air.

"_What did he do that could be so terrible? Surely it must only seem awful to him. Right?"_ Goku tried to reassure himself. He saw Piccolo fly off and decided it was best not to follow either of the two men. Instead, he flew off in the direction of his home, feeling a deep need to hug his wife and little boy. A strong feeling of guilt rushed through him at that thought. This other Gohan was his son too, his little boy. Shouldn't he want to comfort him and hold him just as much? For some reason, Goku couldn't seem to feel the same way and it pained him. He sighed and shook his mind free of his troubling thoughts and entered his house with a grin plastered over his troubled face.

* * *

Gohan laid in the grass near a quiet stream. His eyes were shut and hands behind his head, as he listened to the sound of water and night animals going about their business. He hated being here with all the people he had seen die in front of him. It pained him to no end at all he had missed throughout his life. He noticed little bits of jealousy sprout up when he thought of how easy the people in this time line had it. It also pissed him off that there was no androids or Cell in this time line. Why was it there was in his time line, but not this one? This was supposed to be the past, damn it!

His mind decided to betray him and sent him back to the horrors of his past. Screaming quickly filled his mind and the pleadings of the child made him nearly choke as he quickly sat up and vomited. Even after his stomach was emptied he continued to dry heave.

"_Damn me for being so weak. I should be over this by now!"_ He mentally lectured himself. He wiped his mouth and stood to walk over to the small stream. He bent down and took a drink from the cool water. He sighed and stared up at the sky. He had to stop this feeling sorry for himself. He wasn't a child anymore, and he had work to do. Gohan punched the ground before getting up. He knew exactly what he needed to help get his pathetic mind off all the crap. Gohan smirked to himself and flew off towards the once place where he knew he could inflate his ego and deflate someone else's.

* * *

Vegeta was about to go to bed when the knock at the door came. He decided to ignore it, because anyone who had the nerve to knock at the door this late was obviously a bastard and could rot in hell. Vegeta quickly decided that who ever the hell was out there was not going to leave and he growled angrily as he headed towards the door ready to pound who ever the hell was disturbing his peace. He walked to the door and pulled it open, a nasty insult on the tip of his tongue when the young man pushed past him and walked inside.

"Hey two-feet. Got any grub?" Gohan asked, heading toward the kitchen without waiting for a reply. Vegeta simply stared after the young man in complete shock at being treated like scum in his own house. After a moment Vegeta shook his head and stalked after the asshole. When he walked into the kitchen, ready to kick the crap out of the so called future Gohan, he found the kid standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at a picture that was on the counter. Vegeta recalled when it was taken, he had been forced into it by his obnoxious wife. In the picture was himself, arms crossed with Bulma hanging over his shoulders. Next to them was Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu on Tien's shoulders. Next came Goku, who had Gohan on his shoulders, and Chichi wrapped in his arms, all smiling largely into the camera, except for a pissed off Vegeta.

Vegeta took pity on the kid and pushed the photo down so he could no longer see it. Gohan snapped out of his thoughts and grinned sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"I couldn't find any good food." Gohan said nonchalantly, still grinning.

Vegeta stared at him for a moment before finally walking up to him and punching Gohan in the arm as hard as possible without sending him flying. Gohan fell back a few steps and began rubbing his arm.

"What was that for! If it's from the short joke, that's your own fault. You should have tried growing a little more instead of stopping at five years." Gohan complained, a smirk forming on his lips.

"What the hell! No one comes into my house and treats me with such disrespect! Do you want to fucking die? Get the hell out of my house before I throw you out." Vegeta growled.

His mouth slightly opened when Gohan began to laugh.

"Sorry Vegeta, you're right. I'm being rude. I guess I've forgotten that you aren't him." Gohan bowed slightly and headed for the door.

Vegeta sighed heavily and cursed himself. He followed Gohan and cursed himself once again.

"No one here is going to be who they were there." He said heavily. "The sooner you finish your business here the better. You can go back to the people who you know. We're all simply look a likes. Think you can get that through your thick head?"

Gohan stared at Vegeta for a long while. He opened his mouth to say something before closing it and shaking his head.

"You're right. Sorry about that." Gohan replied and left.

Vegeta felt satisfied with himself. He just hoped no one ever knew he could have a decent side to him. Vegeta shut the front door before heading to bed.

It was completely true. He was alone. Deep down though, it just didn't bother him anymore. He never was one to focus too much on any other emotion other than anger. Anger was his savior and only friend anymore. His own mother could hardly look at him. Gohan had been flying around for hours looking for any signs of Cell. After leaving Vegeta's house, he started his search. Vegeta had been right, the sooner he destroyed this creep, the better.

* * *

A few hours before sunrise, Gohan found himself back at the lookout. Once he touched the ground of the lookout, he began training. Fighting was what he was best at. Killing and destroying.

"_Stop it! You know that's not true. Stop this negative thinking. You aren't like them. You're better."_ Gohan mentally chided himself. Some point during his training, Gohan could feel Piccolo watching him and later he thought he sensed Goku, but he ignored them both. No more emotions.

"_No more. No more. No more. No…more."_ He chanted over and over until he was once again in control of every inner battle. Only then did he finally collapse onto his back breathing heavily. Gohan blinked quickly from the bright light that now shone over the horizon. He shut his eyes and found the damn grin, and plastered it onto his sweaty face.

"No one wanted to join? I was bored, not much entertainment hitting air." Gohan chuckled and sat up. He looked over at the namek and sayain. They were watching him warily. He jumped up and shook too release any tension that was building up in his sore muscles.

"I believe neither of us wanted to become mince meat." Goku smiled uncertainly.

Gohan laughed loudly and rubbed his hands together embarrassed.

"Sorry. Needed a bit of a workout. Anyone hungry? I'm starving!"

Goku and Piccolo glanced at each other and followed Gohan to the kitchen. Gohan quickly wolfed down a bowl of rice pudding before he declared himself full and quickly left to shower.

"Didn't he say he was starving? I know he's your son Goku, but I'm beginning to want to hurt him. He's lying to us and hiding too much from us. Something about him makes it hard to trust him." Piccolo said through gritted teeth.

Goku sighed but didn't reply to the namek. He didn't want to admit that he was having the same feelings about his own son. Instead, he decided to do something that he hoped he wouldn't regret.

* * *

Gohan took a long shower, which made him feel much better. He dressed quickly, wanted to go out on another search. He was ready to take off when Goku shouted for him. Gohan turned around and smiled at his father.

"What's up?" He asked?

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to…come to dinner? Your mo-..er Chichi already said it would be okay." Goku replied, rubbing his head.

Gohan watched his father carefully for a few minutes. He radiated nervousness, but he wasn't sure why. Could he see through his façade? He wasn't sure if going would be such a good idea.

"Gohan?"

Gohan shook his head, ridding it of thoughts before responding, "Uh, yea sure."

Goku grinned slightly, "Great! I'll see you then."

Gohan nodded before taking off.

* * *

Piccolo walked up to Goku as Gohan flew off.

"What's the plan, Goku?" He asked.

Goku looked over at the namek, guilt written all over his face. He looked up at the sky.

"Drug his food, wait untill it takes effect, then you look into his thoughts. It's our only choice to find out what's really going on." Goku replied thickly.

Piccolo nodded slowly. He didn't like the idea, but they hadn't a choice if Gohan wasn't going to talk.

* * *

Hope you liked it. If not, well, hope it cleared your boredom.


	5. Chapter 5

**I was re-reading the story and realized how lame it is in some parts, hehe. I still love it though even if it is a little silly. I bring you chapter five! I listened to The Exies this entire chapter, they just scream 'Gohan' heheh. Enjoy. There is some swearing in this chapter along with the mention of rape.**

* * *

Gohan had spent the rest of the day searching for Cell. His patience was wearing thin, quickly. Cell was either extremely talented at hiding, or Gohan was losing his touch. He liked to think Cell was just talented. The first signs of night were approaching, so he called it a day and headed towards what he once called home. Gohan had to admit, he was slightly anxious about having dinner with Goku and his family.

He landed in front of the small house. A small sigh escaped his lips at the homey feeling. Gohan missed the peacefulness that he had known for a few years of his life. Shaking his head, he walked up to the door and readied to knock, when the door swung open revealing the younger version of himself.

"Hey! Dad said you were joining us for dinner." The small boy exclaimed with childish enthusiasm.

Gohan looked down at the grinning child wondering if he ever looked like that.

"Hello, yes he did. Smells good in there." He replied, patting the child on the head.

"Come in. Dinner is almost ready!" Gohan said cheerily, stepping away to allow the older inside.

Gohan felt awkward as he walked into the house. Everything was like he had remembered from his short childhood. The only thing that was different were the pictures on the side table. They were recent and Gohan had trouble tearing his eyes away from the happy picture. Envy began to make its way through his thoughts before he quickly shooed it away.

"Glad you could make it, G!" Goku said, walking up to the man and putting a hand on his shoulder. Gohan gave a smile to Goku before allowing himself to be steered into the kitchen by Goku.

The first thing Gohan saw as he entered the kitchen was a glaring Chichi. He couldn't help an inward wince when he noticed it was directed towards him. She walked up to him and stood in front of him, leaving only an inch of space between them.

"I don't want you corrupting my little Gohan, you hear? He's a sweet and smart little boy and I don't need more of Goku's silly gang members to teach my baby more disrespectful manners!" Chichi warned. All she could see was the scars on the young mans face, and judged him from those hideous things.

Gohan smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck, chuckling softly. "No need to worry." He responded to her threatening gaze.

She blinked a few times, a little taken aback that the man didn't so much as twitch from her threats. That glare should have scared him at least a little. She sent one more icy glare at him before turning around and finishing cooking.

Gohan was proud he managed not to show any sign of fear. Predators could always sense fear from their prey. He quietly chuckled before turning to Goku who gave him a sympathetic look. Gohan shrugged and sat down at the table across from his younger self.

"You look beat G. Do a lot of training?" Goku asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Something like that." was the short response. He really didn't feel like discussing his failed attempts, honestly he didn't feel like talking period.

"Oh. Well, you should try to get some rest and stay healthy. Make sure you eat well too." Goku scolded lightly.

Gohan smirked a little, finding it amusing at the parental lecture. "Right."

He could feel Goku staring at him, which made him uncomfortable. It always made him feel like Goku was staring right through him and into his very soul. Piccolo was worse, the namek always seemed to know what he was thinking or feeling. It was tiring when he was around the damn green pickle. Gohan had to constantly keep his guard up and always have a cheery expression, or at least one that didn't scream 'Hey look at me! I'm completely fucked up.' There were a reasons he kept himself locked up. He could not afford getting to know these people, it would hurt too much when he had to leave again. Then, of course, there was the fear of rejection if they knew the truth. Gohan was certain rejection was the only thing these people would give him.

Gohan felt an arm on his shoulder and his first instinct was to avoid. He jumped up and grabbed the hand. It took a few seconds to gain control and see Goku standing there, a worried expression on his face.

Gohan let go and sat back down ignoring the situation. "Did you need something?" he asked instead.

He didn't look up at the three as he found the plate very interesting.

"Oh, well you were kind of out of it. I was saying the food was ready." Goku replied carefully, as if Gohan would explode right then and there. Gohan couldn't help the spark of anger. Was he really that terrible a person? He made one mistake, why be so careful? It wasn't his fault that his instincts were a bit on the high end. What was wrong with it? He would have to be careful to not lose focus on his surroundings again. Cell could have been there and he would have known too late.

"_Focus Gohan, focus!"_

"Right, well I'm hungry." Gohan said before digging in after Goku and his younger self. He ignored Chichi's glare and put most of his focus into eating, leaving some to let his senses alert him should anyone speak and also so he could read power levels.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet meal other than the small chatter between Goku and his son. Gohan only half listened, it seemed too much trouble to try to listen. Everything felt slow and difficult. It was too much energy to even continue to eat. Something was wrong and it only took a moment for his slow mind to process that he had been poisoned. He stood up, wobbling and turned to Goku with a glare that could have killed before trying to get out of the house. Somewhere in the background he heard his name be called, but was too focused on walking without falling. He managed to get to the door and open it before everything went black. The last thing he knew was being in some ones arms.

Piccolo looked down at the semi sayain that he had caught. A smirk slipped onto his face as he stared at the unconscious man. It would be Gohan to fight the effects of the strongest sedative that they could get a hold of. He lifted Gohan up and silently followed Goku into a room and placed him upon a bed.

"Shall I start?" Piccolo asked. Goku's face was expressionless, which was uncommon for the goofy sayain.

Goku nodded before taking a seat on a chair. He didn't like this one bit, especially after the look of betrayal and hate on Gohan's face. It nearly broke him to the point of tears. He never cried, when he did it was rare. This was for the best though, he needed to know what they were dealing with. Both Piccolo and himself felt that there wasn't something right with this Gohan. Goku let the word 'insane' cross through before he shoved it out and watched Piccolo.

Piccolo took a moment to breathe before putting his hand on top if Gohan's head. The sooner this was over the better. The guilt was bothersome, but not enough to rule over what he believed was right. It took several minutes to get through the mental barriers, once he was in memories flew at him from every direction. He took them all in quickly before finding an interesting one and stopped there to observe.

* * *

_Gohan stood above a building, a grin plastered on his face. He loved training with Trunks. The kid had so much potential and spirit. It never ceased to amaze him that the bitterness of the world had not interfered with his child enthusiasm. No matter how many times Gohan knocked him down, he always came back with just as much spirit and force. They had been sparring for a good three hours now, and Trunks was still fighting with spirit. Gohan, could tell that Trunks was wearing down, but the kid would never admit it. Trunks insisted that he could always go on, but Gohan could easily read him like an open book. _

_He jumped in mid-air just as a ki blast came shooting out at him, and quickly blocked a kick by a swift Trunks. They fought like this for several minutes, kicking, punching, then blocking. Only to start all over. Trunks slipped up and Gohan found the opening to once more knock the young half-sayain down for what seemed like the hundredth time._

_Gohan flew down to where an angry and bewildered Trunks lay. Gohan chuckled at the expression and reached down to pull the boy back up._

"_Come on, kid. Let's call it a day. You did really well, lot of improvement." Gohan said, trying to convince the strong headed boy._

"_No WAY! Gohan I can beat you. I know it! Just a little bit longer. Please." Trunks argued in the whiney voice Gohan always found irritating. Did he used to whine like that?_

"_Uh-uh twerp. You can't push yourself past your limits. It's not going to help you, it'll only frustrate you further." Gohan said sternly. _

_Trunks bowed his head, knowing the argument was over. He frowned deeply and crossed his arms. He heard Gohan laugh which only made him angrier. Trunks felt a hand rest on his head and ruffle his hair affectionately._

"_Don't pout. Super heroes never pout." Gohan said chuckling then flying off. "Come on underpants. I'm starved!"_

_Trunks growled and took off after Gohan. "I do not pout! And don't call me that!" _

Piccolo was confused as to who the purple haired child was. It wasn't until the next memory that he understood.

_Trunks was toeing some dirt as he stood in front of Gohan. "It's just I really want to know who he was. Stories aren't enough anymore. I want to bring him back, Gohan! I want to help too."_

_Gohan refused to meet the eyes of the boy. His anger was slowly rising, there was no way he would allow trunks to fight those monsters. Even he wasn't much of a challenge against them, but he had a much higher chance then Trunks, not to mention Bulma would kill him if anything happened to her idiot of a son. _

"_I won't repeat myself. I said no, and that means no. I refuse to allow you anywhere near them. This is my fight alone right now. When I think your are ready, I will allow you to face them, no sooner and no later. Have I made myself clear?" _

_Trunks stared hard at the ground, blaming it for everything. "That's not fair! You know that means never! Not unless you die, Gohan let me help!"_

_What happened next stunned the smaller boy into silent tears. Gohan slapped the boy hard before grabbing him into a hug. _

"_Never. I will never allow you. I won't lose you too, I wouldn't stay sane if you were gone. Try to understand from my point of view. You are the last thing I have left." Gohan held Trunks closer, allowing the boy to cry out his frustrations. _

The memory left Piccolo filled with so much emotion he thought he would burst. The downside of his mind reading was emotions came attached. He did his best to shrug it off as he came into a memory that stunned even him.

* * *

"_Trunks! Trunks! Where the hell are you?" Gohan was panicking. The kid was nowhere to be found and the worst came to mind. The rain was falling hard all around him and he was just healing from a recent battle. Bulma told him he had been missing all morning and since then he had been searching. Dark was creeping all around him. _

"_Looking for the kid?" A slimy voice yelled out over the rain._

_Gohan turned and found himself staring into the eyes one of his enemies. 17 was floating in the air, ignoring the blinding rain, a smirk glued to his ugly face._

_Gohan growled, "Where is he." _

_17 chuckled and waved a hand for Gohan to follow. "You want him, come with me."_

_Gohan was exploding with rage, but he knew if he didn't comply, Trunks was a goner for sure. That was not an option Gohan could even wrap his mind around. What was life without the spunky brat? So, he followed begrudgingly. _

_17 led him into an old building that was only half standing. Gohan's nose wrinkled at the smell of mold and blood. He prayed for Earth that the blood didn't belong to Trunks. If it was, Earth was a goner._

_Gohan thought he was ready for anything. What could they really do except rough the kid up a bit. His blood went cold and breathing became a chore at the sight. His mind exploded, he couldn't think or move. His own mind was paralyzing him._

_Trunks lie naked and bloody. Bruises covering in small body. Short and shallow breaths was the only sign he was still alive. Somewhere in the background he heard laughter. _

"_He was good. Fought hard, screamed a lot too. Called out for you to help him the whole time." 17 said moving away from Gohan, waiting for the explosion from him. _

_Gohan numbly walked up to the boy and kneeled down next to him. He didn't know if it was safe to move him. A whimper came from Trunks and everything blurred for Gohan from that one small sound that should have never left his brat's mouth. _

_He stood and attacked. He attacked with every last bit of himself. Gohan couldn't tell where up or down was. He couldn't tell who he was hitting or when he was hit. Nothing hurt, nothing mattered, but to kill. At some point he remembered that the building they were fighting near had Trunks in it. The building had other people in it. He pushed it away though and let rage and instinct take over. _

_

* * *

_Piccolo was close to understanding Gohan. He was certain this battle had been the reason for his mental state, but he never had the chance to see the rest. Piccolo was yanked hard and was thrown into a completely white room.

_"How fucking dare you! I'm giving you a chance to leave without being injured. You have five seconds to get out of my damn head starting now_.

Piccolo didn't need to be told twice, he didn't even know someone could have this much control in their mind. Piccolo withdrew and blinked a few times until the room came into focus. He stood quickly and left the room with Goku tailing behind him. Piccolo didn't stop until he was outside where he could breathe.

"What happened? Piccolo what's wrong?"

Piccolo turned to Goku and that one looked let Goku know everything. Piccolo left without a word and left Goku standing there, confused, but with a better understanding. He would get the full story from Piccolo in the morning. Goku looked up to the sky and stood in the cold for a long while before he felt Chichi's arms around his waist.

"Goku. Your crying." She said softly.

He wiped at his eyes, a little taken aback by the tears. How long had he been crying? He turned around and held Chichi close to him.

"I'm fine." He led them back into the house and to their room.

* * *

**Yes...I will make you all suffer and not let you know everything. Hope you enjoyed. I'm having fun with this story and there's nothing better than an insane Gohan, a meddlesome Piccolo, and depressed Goku =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**-Rubs head sheepishly- Well, been a while...anyway I wasn't planning on getting this chapter out until later this week, but someone sent a review and it sorta got my arse back into gear. It's not the longest chapter, but I already started on the next. Sorry for any errors, I read through the thing twice, but it would be really useful to have a beta? I have two for my FMA story but none for this one. Anyone that is interested, please email me. I have realized that my writing is very mediocre, and I apologize. I know what it's like to read a story that is like this, and I am working on improving that. Hopefully, further along, the chapters will seem more advanced. Listened to "Wasteland" by 10 years for this chapter. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed =) Lovely bunch of folk you are.  
**

* * *

The next morning Goku woke to find Gohan already gone. Goku wasn't the least bit surprised, he would have been furious if someone had drugged him and spied on his memories. There wasn't anything he could do right now, much to his regret, so he figured would see Piccolo later to find out more.

* * *

Gohan had been flying for hours. He would occasionally stop to yell as loud as he could or to hit a tree or rock. It was the only way to control his temper, unless he went to beat the crap out of the pickle and moron. That, as tempting as it sounded, was not an option. Gohan had gone blind with rage when he woke up enough to feel an intruder in his head. He wasn't kidding around when he threatened Piccolo. If Gohan had been awake there was a high chance he might have accidentally killed the namek. He didn't want to take that rage out on anyone though. He would not make that mistake again, rage was deadly. Gohan wanted more than anything to hate the two people he trusted most and who betrayed him. What right did he have though?

"_Of course they took drastic measures, idiot. You had a damn sign hanging over yourself saying 'I'm hiding shit'." _Gohan gave a hollow laugh.

No, he couldn't blame them at all, that didn't mean he didn't have the right to be royally pissed. Pissed he was about everything. Not to mention, they had woken up memories that had taken months and months to lock away. He wasn't stable any more, he could feel it. They had to go mess his mind up even more then it was.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the ki he had been looking for since he entered the current time-line. Gohan stopped and as quickly as he could, flew to where he felt Cell. His body was tense, ready for a fight, but his mind was screaming 'party'.

"_Perfect timing, I can get some of this pain and anger out." _Gohan smirked as he stood in front of his worst enemy and ironically, best friend.

"Hello, Cell. Long time no see." He waved to the lizard standing hardly four feet away.

"Ah, I see you have found me. Interesting, it didn't take as long as I had anticipated. Oh well, no reason to fret about what can not be changed, right?" Cell spoke slowly, knowing the semi-sayain would get the hint, which would further anger him. Cell learned an angry Gohan was an easy Gohan.

Gohan's smirk disappeared from his scarred face and was replaced with a frown.

"No talking this time." Gohan said and gave no warning as he charged Cell.

Both fighters' powers were exactly the same and Gohan had Cell mostly defending. Gohan had always been the quicker of the two. Cell usually struggled to keep up after a small amount of time, then buffed his power level up, Gohan would also raise his to match Cell's. It was almost like a dance for them, a dance they started over and over but never finished. This time, Gohan managed to buff up just a little more than Cell, and that small amount of power made a large difference. A kick had Cell flying through a rock and landing in a pile of crumbled rocks.

"Not bad, you've improved." Cell spoke in a sickly sweet voice. He never took his eyes off Gohan as he stood and spread his legs.

Gohan watched him warily. Something was wrong, Cell was too confident. Gohan could have kicked himself from not noticing Cell was not at his full power. Once again Cell was ahead.

Cell chuckled loudly as he powered up, power growing far beyond Gohan's.

"Ready…set…GO!" Cell launched himself at Gohan who barely had time to block the punch.

Gohan was having trouble keeping up with the lizard. It didn't make sense that he was stronger. Gohan had trained and pushed past his limits, yet here was Cell once again above him. How could Cell have powered up so greatly without Gohan being aware?

"_I can't lose. It's not an option. Trunks. Trunks. Trunks."_

"TRUNKS. BURNING FIRE." Gohan yelled allowing the power to run through his body and hit Cell in the chest, pushing the monster into the ground. Without giving Cell a second to move, he threw a masenko, then continued with blasts of ki power. He knew better than to stop and began an assault of kicks and punches on the lizard. Cell had finally managed to find an opening and slammed Gohan into a rock, giving him enough time to compose himself and ready for another onslaught.

"Lucky, you caught me by surprise with that attack. Impressive, using that child's attack, wasn't that the last attack before he was used and tossed aside? Oh, and killed." Cell used this as bait, waiting for his chance to catch Gohan off guard. He could already feel the boy's energy going wild. Gohan, his jaw clenched and a fierce scowl on his face, attacked and it was all Cell needed.

Both man and monster stood motionless. Gohan blinked and looked down at his stomach. Cell's tail had stabbed all the way through. Whether from shock or disbelief, Gohan could only watch as the tail twisted around before slowly pulling out, making a wet 'plop' sound. He fell to his knees, trying to talk but only able to make a sickly gurgling sound as he coughed blood up.

"Pathetic way to die, what a simple mistake, have you not learned to control your temper or power?" Cell kicked Gohan onto his back, enjoying the look in the boy's eyes, shock, fear, and oddly relief.

"Humph, I can't complain too much. You were amusing and the only fighter worthy of my time. In fact, maybe I'm not done with you." Cell laughed and picked up Gohan by the neck, who had fallen half unconscious. "Hmm, where ever shall I take you?" The only energy he was familiar with was Gohan's. He scanned the area until he felt an energy he had felt several times near the boy since they had come to their current time-line.

* * *

Piccolo was waiting. He had been following the battle since it started. He kept his distance though, knowing he would only get in the way. It never truly occurred to him until right then how deep in shit they all were. It wasn't that he had taken Gohan's warnings lightly, but it was impossible to fully understand what they were up against until he felt the two energies clashing. Piccolo felt his heart skip several beats once he felt Gohan's energy drop sharply and suddenly. Piccolo was in the air flying towards the scene, not sure what he would be able to do, but the idea of doing nothing was worse than the the fear of death. He stopped quickly when he felt both powers heading right for him.

"_Damn. I'm in a serious pickle."_ Piccolo readied himself for a battle with a monster that would destroy him within seconds. It was a surprise to him when the green lizard, whom he figured was Cell, landed in front of him and handed Gohan over. Piccolo stared at him for a moment before taking the young man into his arms, body tense and ready to flee.

"Keep him alive, and let him know in one week I expect him to find me and fight me, this time to death. If he doesn't show, I will go after his friends and family. If he win's, I die, if I win he dies, simple. One week."

With that Cell left. Piccolo breathed out a small sigh of relief before he looked down at the bloody mess of what was once Gohan. Piccolo headed back to the lookout and sought out Kami and Popo. The three quickly worked together to fix Gohan up enough to where death was no longer a threat. They gave him a sensu bean and the rest was up to Gohan's own body to continue healing.


End file.
